Supporting garment

ABSTRACT

An undergarment formed of knitted fabric comprising a plurality of members cut to pattern and adapted to be sewn together to provide positive support and lift for the male genital organs.

United States Patent 1151 3,683,909 Murray [4 Aug. 15,1972,

2,739,314 3/1956 Friedman........

1541 SUPPORTING GARMENT 2/224 A [72] I Ri h d D H Murray, 17 4802,505,219 4/1950 ....,...2 /224A 7 h S" New York, 10 1 3,283,545 11/1966Sunon.......... .........l28/l59 X 3,354,880 11/1967 Coughlin m1...........128/159 [22] RM Jan-14,1971 2,661,738 12/1953Friedman..................128/159 prising pattern and adapted topositive support and lift Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet AssistantExaminer-J. Yasko Attorneylrving Seidman [57] ABSTRACT An undergarmentformed of knitted fabric com a plurality of members out to be sewntogether to provide for the male genital organs.

7 Clains, 6 Drawing Figures Int. 5/40 [21] Appl.No.: 106,450

[58] FieldofSearch.......

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,493,357 l/l950Miller.......................

PATENTED M19 15 I97? 3 6 83, 909

F IG. 5. y

ATTORNEY.

SUPPORTING GARMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION dergarment and, morespecifically, to mens briefs,

shorts or trunks which engage and encase portions of the body of thewearer and provide positive support and lift for the male genitalorgans.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore, numerous supportingundergarments have been proposed which cause discomfort when givingsupport for the male genital organs, or have failed to give such supportwith adequate tolerances for movements and various postures. Otherdisadvantages of such known undergarments reside in the predominatelydouble-ply construction thereof, particularly in the crotch portion ofsuch garments, which. construction materially obstructs the penetrationand circulation of air so as to inhibit the evaporation of bodymoisture. In addition, those known undergarments constructed having afront fly or overlapping flap cover portions do not afford sufficient orcomfortable expansion of the garment, particularly in the crotch area,inrelation to body movement.

The present invention serves to eliminate the above problems anddisadvantages in the manner hereinafter described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The undergarment of the present invention ischaracterized as being constructed of single ply knit fabric memberswhich are cut and assembled together in a manner offering a gentle, yetfirm cupping support to the genitals. The construction of the garment issuch as to enable it to readily give or yield with the bending ormovements of the body without creating any binding or creeping effect onthe wearer.

Stated in general terms, an object of the present invention is toprovide an improved supporting undergarment affording positive supportand lift for the genital organs.

Another object and feature of the present invention is to provide animproved supporting undergarment formed of a pair of single ply knitfabric members having front sections cut bias to the seam so that thegarment gives or yields with the bending or movements of the bodywithout creeping or binding, and which garment is formed without a frontcentral or fly opening.

A further object, feature and advantage of the present invention is toprovide an improved supporting undergarment which is relatively easy toassemble and economical to manufacture.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the consideration of thefollowing detailed description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a front elevational view ofthe supporting undergarment constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank portion constituting one-half of thesupporting undergarment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial detail of the front seam area of the garment shownin FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along FIG. 1;

FIG. Sis a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings,numeral 10 represents the supporting undergarment constructed inaccordance with the present invention. Garment 10 is formed of two ormore knitted fabric members suitably sewn together to defineconventional waist and leg engaging portions 12 and 14 respectively;said members being joined together by means of vertically extendingfront seam l6 and back seam l8 and a horizontally extending crotch seam20 located at the juncture of said front and back seams.

Referring more specifically to FIG. 2, there is illustrated in plan viewa blank portion 22 constituting onehalf of the garment shown in FIG. 1.Stated otherwise, blank 22 constitutes one of the fabric members used inconstructing garment 10. Although another fabric member identical insize and contour to that of blank 22 is required to complete thegarment, it will only be necessary to describe one of such members toacquire a meaningful appreciation of the present invention. Furthermore,while garment 10 is preferably formed of two fabric members, it will beunderstood that it is possible to attain the general objects of theinvention by employing varied numbers of pieces in excess of the numbershown in the drawing. Accordingly, blank or member 22 may, itself, beformed of two sections joined together along a vertical seam 24, such asshown in FIG. 2.

Member 22 is cut from a suitable pattern and is preferably formed ofsingle ply knit fabric having a waist forming edge portion 26 and a legforming edge portion 28, defining therebetween a section 30 whichconstitutes a side portion of the garment. Extending laterally fromopposite sides of side portion 30, is a partial back section 32 and apartial front section 34. The manner of cut and angular displacement,with respect to the vertical, of the rearwardly extending edge 36 ofback section 32 and the forwardly extending edge 38 of front section 34,together with the manner in which the front section 34 is cut withrelation to the grain of the fabric, are essential parts of theinvention as more fully described below.

For example, partial back section 32 is out having a rearwardlyextending compound curved edge including spaced concave edge portions441) and 42 and convex edge portion 44 interconnecting said concaveportions. Crotch forming edge portion 46 serves to connect edge portion42 with leg forming edge portion 28. The angular displacement of thecompound curved edge of back section 32 is conveniently defined withrespect to a ver tical reference line Y--Y as being measured by atangent T to the outermost point T, of convex edge porline 4-4 of tion44 and passing through a point T defined by the juncture of concave edgeportion 42 and crotch forming edge 46. In practice, it has been foundthat the objectives of the present invention are satisfactorily obtainedwhere tangent T lies in a plane at an angle between 4 and 20 withrespect to the vertical reference line.

Referring now, in similar detail, to the partial front section 34 ofgarment member 22, the front section is out having a forwardly extendingconvex edge 48 which is connected to leg forming edge portion 28 bymeans of crotch forming edge portion 50. The angular displacement ofedge 48 is defined with respect to vertical reference line YY as beingmeasured by a tangent T to the outermost point T, of convex edge 48 andpassing through a point T defined by the juncture of convex edge 48 andcrotch forming edge 50. It has been found that favorable results areobtained in practicing the present invention where tangent T lies in aplane at an angle between and 35 with respect to the vertical referenceline.

Another important feature of the present invention resides in theconstruction thereof wherein the fabric of front section 34 ispreferably cut on a bias angle from and .in relation to the grainthereof, represented by the arrow in FIG. 2. This bias cut, togetherwith the angular displacement of the edges of the back and frontsections of the garment members serve to enhance the comfort to thewearer of the garment while achieving the objectives heretoforedescribed.

In assembling the garment, two fabric members, each having theconfiguration illustrated by blank 22, are joined together by means ofstitching, such as that represented by numeral 52, to define a garmenthaving front seam 16, back seam 18 and crotch seam 20. The leg formingedge portions 28 which define leg portions 14 are then reversely folded,or turned inwardly upon itself, and receive an elastic member 54positioned between the opposed surfaces of the reversely folded legforming edge portions. The elastic member 54 is positioned in a slightlytensioned condition whereupon the reversely folded leg forming edgeportions are then closed or secured together by means of stitching 56.In a similar fashion, the waist forming edge portions 26 are reverselyfolded and receive elastic member 58 therebetween in a slightlytensioned condition, whereupon the reversely folded waist edge portionsare closed or secured together by means of stitching 60. The elasticmembers 54 and 58 of leg portion 14 and waist portion 12, respectively,render the garment essentially fomi fitting in these body regions, andyet, act independently of each other according to body movement withoutcreating any binding or creeping effect on the wearer.

The garment as thus formed readily gives or yields with the bending ormovements of the body, while yet offering a gentle and sustainingcupping support to the genitals. The garment is essentially form-fittingand will snugly and smoothly engage the body parts, and yet will notinterfere with changes in posture or position. Because of the singlethickness of fabric, especially in the crotch portion, penetration ofair and moisture is uninhibited to allow healthful evaporation of bodymoisture.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail, it will be readily understood and appreciated thatvarious changes or modifications thereof may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A supporting undergarment comprising:

a. a pair of fabric members;

b. each member including an intermediate side section, a partial backsection and a partial front section; said back and front sectionsextending laterally from said intermediate side section;

0. said partial back section having a rearwardly extending compoundcurved edge angularly displaced with respect to the vertical andextending between the top to the bottom thereof;

d. said edge having a pair of spaced concave edge portions and a convexedge portion interconnecting said concave edge portions;

. the angular displacement of said edge being measured by a tangent tothe outermost point of the convex edge portion thereof and which lies ina plane at an angle between 4 and 20 with respect to the vertical;

f. said partial front section having a forwardly extending convex edgeangularly displaced with respect to the vertical and extending betweenthe top and bottom thereof;

g. the angular displacement of said forwardly extending edge beingmeasured by a tangent to the outermost point of said edge and which liesin a plane at an angle between 15 and 35 with respect to the vertical;

h. means for securing the forwardly extending edges of the partial frontsections of said members together;

it means for securing the rearwardly extending edges of the partial backsections of said members together;

j. each of said partial front and back sections having crotch formingedge portions; and

k. means for securing together the associated crotch forming edgeportions of the respective front and back sections.

2. The supporting undergarment as recited in claim I, wherein the fabricof said partial front section is cut on a bias angle from 20 to 30.

3. The supporting undergarment as recited in claim 1, wherein each ofsaid pair of members is formed of single ply knit fabric.

4. The supporting undergarment as recited in claim 1, whereby theoutermost point of the convex edge portion of the partial back sectionlies on the tangent when said tangent passes through a point defined bythe juncture of the lower end of the rearwardly extending edge of thepartial back section and the crotch forming edge thereof.

5. The supporting undergarment as recited in claim 1, whereby theoutermost point of the convex edge of the partial front section lies onthe tangent when said tangent passes through a point defined by thejuncture of the lower end of the forwardly extending edge of the partialfrom section and the crotch forming edge thereof.

6. The supporting undergarment as recited in claim 1,

- wherein each of said members includes leg forming edge portions; andelastic means associated with said leg forming edge portions.

7. The supporting undergarment as recited in claim 5 1, wherein each ofsaid members includes waist forming edge portions; and elastic meansassociated with said waist forming edge portions.

* In a: a

1. A supporting undergarment comprising: a. a pair of fabric members; b.each member including an intermediate side section, a partial backsection and a partial front section; said back and front sectionsextending laterally from said intermediate side section; c. said partialback section having a rearwardly extending compound curved edgeangularly displaced with respect to the vertical and extending betweenthe top to the bottom thereof; d. said edge having a pair of spacedconcave edge portions and a convex edge portion interconnecting saidconcave edge portions; e. the angular displacement of said edge beingmeasured by a tangent to the outermost point of the convex edge portionthereof and which lies in a plane at an angle between 4* and 20* withrespect to the vertical; f. said partial front section having aforwardly extending convex edge angularly displaced with respect to thevertical and extending between the top and bottom thereof; g. theangular displacement of said forwardly extending edge being measured bya tangent to the outermost point of said edge and which lies in a planeat an angle between 15* and 35* with respect to the vertical; h. meansfor securing the forwardly extending edges of the partial front sectionsof said members together; i. means for securing the rearwardly extendingedges of the partial back sections of said members together; j. each ofsaid partial front and back sections having crotch forming edgeportions; and k. means for securing together the associateD crotchforming edge portions of the respective front and back sections.
 2. Thesupporting undergarment as recited in claim l, wherein the fabric ofsaid partial front section is cut on a bias angle from 20* to 30*. 3.The supporting undergarment as recited in claim 1, wherein each of saidpair of members is formed of single ply knit fabric.
 4. The supportingundergarment as recited in claim 1, whereby the outermost point of theconvex edge portion of the partial back section lies on the tangent whensaid tangent passes through a point defined by the juncture of the lowerend of the rearwardly extending edge of the partial back section and thecrotch forming edge thereof.
 5. The supporting undergarment as recitedin claim 1, whereby the outermost point of the convex edge of thepartial front section lies on the tangent when said tangent passesthrough a point defined by the juncture of the lower end of theforwardly extending edge of the partial front section and the crotchforming edge thereof.
 6. The supporting undergarment as recited in claiml, wherein each of said members includes leg forming edge portions; andelastic means associated with said leg forming edge portions.
 7. Thesupporting undergarment as recited in claim 1, wherein each of saidmembers includes waist forming edge portions; and elastic meansassociated with said waist forming edge portions.